Like costar/friend/rival William Shatner, Nimoy has always been a bit of a renaissance man, adding other public interests — photography, directing, writing — to his acting resume. And like Shatner, he’s at times fancied himself a recording artist. And, like Shatner again, he’s way, way off the mark with that self-assessment. Because the man can’t really sing. Nimoy has a nice voice, but it’s not a singing voice. It’s built for relaying information in a cool, even, dare we say logical manner. Not harmonizing. About twenty seconds of his rendition of “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” can tell you that. And if you remain unconvinced, “If I Had a Hammer” will drive the last nail into that coffin.

During the original run of Star Trek, Nimoy recorded a number of tunes, and “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” was among them. Written by Charles Randolph Grean, this bouncy ditty likely would have been consigned along with other Nimoy tracks to the back shelf of recording oddities if not for the video above. Produced for a contemporary variety show, Spock-haired Nimoy lip-synced his way through the song as bimbos bounced and cavorted around him on rocky, hilly terrain that made it look like Kirk was karate-chopping the Gorn just around the corner. Remember that episode where Spock was blasted in the face by a space-flower that made him love-struck and carefree? How odd it was to see the stiff Vulcan smiling and relaxed? Similar thing here. Nimoy, bright colors and J.R.R. Tolkien don’t mix.

Will this clip work its way into the final chapter of Peter Jackson’s interminable — and I mean interminable — Hobbit saga? Doubtful. But it lives on in the minds and nightmares of Star Trek fans and horrified lovers of music.